JACKSON, N.J. – A 20-year-old Guatemalan citizen who prosecutors say has never possessed a driver’s license has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly striking a mother and her two young children in a Jackson Township grocery store parking lot Friday, killing a 9-month-old boy.
Maria Cobon Guzman, whose Ocean County Jail booking record lists her citizenship and country of birth as Guatemala, was driving a Ford Fusion in the NPGS grocery store parking lot on West County Line Road when she struck the family, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Prosecutors said CobonGuzman had never been issued a valid driver’s license in New Jersey or any other state.
Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, of Toms River (originally from Mexico), was also charged in connection with the fatal crash. Investigators allege Lazaro-Flores knew CobonGuzman did not have and had never possessed a valid driver’s license but nevertheless allowed her to operate the vehicle.
- CobonGuzman is identified in Ocean County Jail records as a citizen of Guatemala and prosecutors say she had never held a valid driver’s license.
- A 9-month-old boy died after the Ford Fusion allegedly struck his mother and a baby carriage carrying him and his 5-year-old sister.
- The jail record provided Saturday shows no ICE detainer information for Cobon Guzman and does not state her immigration status.
Mother and Two Children Struck in Jackson Grocery Store Parking Lot
Officers with the Jackson Township Police Department responded to the NPGS grocery store on West County Line Road at approximately 11:55 a.m. Friday after receiving a report of a motor vehicle crash involving pedestrians.
Responding officers discovered that a mother and her two minor children — a 5-year-old girl and 9-month-old boy — had been struck in the parking lot.
All three were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment.
The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. His mother and 5-year-old sister remained hospitalized in stable condition when prosecutors announced the charges.
Investigators determined that CobonGuzman was operating a Ford Fusion when she allegedly struck the mother and the baby carriage carrying both children.
The prosecutor’s office has not disclosed what investigators believe caused CobonGuzman to strike the family.
Prosecutors Say CobonGuzman Never Had a Driver’s License
Investigators subsequently determined that Cobon Guzman was not simply driving on a suspended or expired license, according to prosecutors.
“Further investigation revealed that Cobon Guzman did not possess, nor had she ever possessed, a valid driver’s license in this or any other state,” the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Cobon Guzman was charged with manslaughter, operating a motor vehicle without ever having possessed or been issued a valid driver’s license while involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash, and two counts of assault by auto.
Ocean County Jail records identify CobonGuzman as a citizen of Guatemala and list Guatemala as her country of birth. The booking information shows she was committed to the jail Aug. 28.
The jail record supplied for this report lists no ICE number and states that there is no detainer information for the inmate.
Those records do not establish whether CobonGuzman entered the United States legally or illegally, whether she currently has lawful immigration status, or whether federal immigration authorities are investigating her status. Citizenship in another country does not by itself establish that a person is undocumented.
Second Woman Accused of Allowing Unlicensed Driver Behind Wheel
Prosecutors allege Lazaro-Flores knew CobonGuzman had never held a valid driver’s license but still permitted her to drive the Ford Fusion.
Lazaro-Flores was charged with knowingly engaging in conduct creating a substantial risk of death to another.
Both women were taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where prosecutors said they were being held pending detention hearings.
The investigation includes the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad and High Tech Crime Squad, Jackson Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
Authorities have not publicly identified the mother or her two children.
Was Maria CobonGuzman licensed to drive?
No, according to prosecutors. Investigators said she had never possessed or been issued a valid driver’s license in New Jersey or any other state.
Is Maria CobonGuzman an undocumented immigrant?
The records provided do not establish that. Ocean County Jail records identify her as a citizen of Guatemala and born in Guatemala, but list no ICE detainer and do not state her U.S. immigration status.
What happened to the mother and her children?
The 9-month-old boy died after being transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. His mother and 5-year-old sister were reported in stable condition.
A Guatemalan citizen who prosecutors say never held a driver’s license faces manslaughter after a Jackson crash killed a 9-month-old boy Friday.
